Barkley possibly most sought-after free agent in sports TV history
Front Office Sports insider Michael McCarthy recently dove into the wild possibility of an NBA player pulling in $100 million a year, but the real buzz came when he unpacked the future of Inside the NBA. With the current TV deals shaking up, there’s serious talk of Charles Barkley, Shaq, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson launching their own production company to keep the beloved show alive—essentially shopping the rights to whoever can pay top dollar, from traditional networks like ESPN and TNT to deep-pocketed newcomers like streaming giants or even a major online casino brand eager to dominate sports betting and live entertainment integrations. McCarthy laid out how this independent move could protect the crew’s unmatched chemistry, maximize their earning power, and adapt to a media world increasingly driven by gambling partnerships and direct-to-fan revenue streams.